Researcher Michael Schmitt of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada recently conducted an experiment in social psychology.
The findings were published November in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. The study concluded that reminders of Christmas can make “religious minorities” uncomfortable, even if they remain unaware of the fact.
Stephanie Pappas reported in LiveScience that “When people who did not celebrate Christmas or who did not identify as Christian filled out surveys about their moods while in the same room as a small Christmas tree, they reported less self-assurance and fewer positive feelings than if they hadn’t been reminded of the holiday, according to a new study.”
How small? The tree used in the study was only twelve inches — a mere one foot tall. How bad or intimidated can one become by a miniature Christmas tree? Now, the infamous Abu Dhabi $11 million dollar Christmas tree is another story entirely.
Schmitt defended the study by saying, “I don’t think it’s really going to undermine anyone’s experience of Christmas to tone it down,” he said. “We’re not suggesting ‘no Christmas’ or ‘no Christmas displays at all,’ but in contexts where we really do value respecting and including diversity in terms of religion, the safest option is not to have these kinds of displays.”
The first several comments left by readers of the article indicate they understand better than the author of the study that Christmas trees are not specifically Christian but trace their roots to pagan customs. A Christmas tree isn’t that much more religious than Frosty the snowman.
Nativity scenes are another matter entirely. In the effort to maintain a true Christmas spirit this season, this writer heartily recommends watching the movie The Nativity Story.
Christmas is about the possibility that our creator God would stoop to physically manifest part of himself in human form. It is somewhat interesting to note those same people who scoff at the impossibility of an Immaculate Conception have no trouble at all believing that we share a common ancestor with an oak tree….or, in the spirit of Christmas, a Douglas fir.
According to the LiveScience article, Schmitt himself “celebrates” Christmas but recommends we tone it down for our secular friends. The safest option (in order to avoid offending anyone) is not to have any overt display of religiosity.
Christmas is a time of great joy and celebration of life. Whether or not you also believe it’s a time to recognize how our creator God honored a covenant with mankind is up to you. Rather than destroying our Christmas decorations or demanding we not display Christmas trees, why not put up tasteful decorations of your own, in the spirit of the holiday season?
Heck, put up a Festivus pole and gather around it to complain about Christmas, if that’s what floats your boat. This writer could not personally care less how you choose to (not) celebrate the holiday.
As for me, I prefer to say, “Merry Christmas!”
If you find that offensive, you need to develop thicker skin.
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